70th Annual Session of Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers

CHEMCON 2017
VERSATILITY OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING TO MEET SOCIETAL CHALLENGES
December 27 30 , 2017
Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Haldia Institute of Technology
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Assessment of Magnetised Activated Carbon from spent tea leaves

Alivia Mukherjee1, Tirthankar Mukherjee2, Mehabub Rehaman3*
1First Author Affiliation & Address
2Second Author Affiliation & Address
3Third Author Affiliation & Address (Corresponding Author)
1first.author@first.edu
2second.author@second.com

3third.author@third.edu

Abstract:
The activated carbon prepared from solid waste (spent tea leaves) can be used to treat waste water from
both industrial and domestic sectors. The demand for activated carbon in the entire world was 1.437
million tons in the year 2014 and 1.733 million tons in 2017. Thus we can evaluate that the importance of
activated carbon is growing day by day. This paper studies the various adsorption properties of the AC
produced from spent tea using different processes. It summarizes the best method published in various
literatures.

Keywords: spent tea leaves, activated carbon, chemical activation, magnetization

1. INTRODUCTION are basically dehydrating agents which enhance

Tea is one of the most popular drinks in India. The the yield of carbon by influencing the
total amount of tea produced in India in the year decomposition. The chemicals react with the
2016 is 1208.78 million kgs. After using this tea as carbon chains forming a rigid matrix by cross
a drink most of it becomes waste. To utilize this linking reactions. NaOH, KOH and H3PO4 are the
waste and convert it to more value added product commonly used chemical agents. The porosity of
like activated carbon has been carried out by the activated carbon strongly depends on the
various researchers. Activated carbon consists of concentration of the chemical agent.
carbonaceous material which is highly porous
and has an adsorptive medium with complex Table 1: Different AC production processes
structure comprising mostly of carbon
Activation Time in Chemical Reference
atoms.The obtained activated carbon helps in
Temperature the Agent
adsorption of dyes, phenols, metals, and other
C furnace used
contaminants from wastewater.
However the quality and the quantity of activated 500800C 60150 Potassium M. Auta
carbon depend on various operating conditions min Acetate 2011
like pressure, residence time, heating rate, type of
reactor and most importantly temperature. 700C 4h ZnCl2 Gundogdu
2013
2. DIFFERENT METHODS FOR PRODUCTION OF AC
800C 1h NaOH Islam
FROM SPENT TEA LEAVES
Chemical activation is carried out in a single step 2015
where both carbonization and activation occurs
simultaneously. The chemical agents that are used

CHEMCON-2017 1|P a g e
 70th Annual Session of Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers
CHEMCON 2017
VERSATILITY OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING TO MEET SOCIETAL CHALLENGES
December 27 30 , 2017
Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Haldia Institute of Technology

450C Not H3PO4 (85 Gokce 480.4 mg/g and 428.6 mg/g respectively. The
given %) 2014 highest MB adsorption capacity is observed for
NAC60. It is clear that the acidic groups of surface
800C,5C/min 1h KOH Laksaci
play crucial role for the adsorption of MB.
2017

In one of the studies the spent tea was was heat up

to 450 C in a horizontal cylindrical furnace and
kept at this temperature for 1h. The waste tea
powder was fully mixed with 40 wt. % H3PO4
solution at an impregnation ratio of 1:1.5 (g waste
tea /g H3PO4) at room temperature for 12 h. After
the AC was produced it was washed with
deionized water until a constant neutral pH of the
filtrates was observed. Then the carbons were
dried at 105 C for 6 h (Kan 2016).

3. ASORBTION OF DYE
The adsorbates molecular dimensions also have an
impact on the adsorption rate of Activated carbon.
Larger the molecule with branches like polymers
or high molecular weight organic compounds
slower is the adsorption rate. Similarly low
molecular weight compounds are adsorbed more
quickly. Larger the surface area higher is the Figure 1: Methylene blue adsorption performances of
adsorption. With increase in pores the surface area the AC samples in units of, a) mg MB/g AC and b) mg
MB/m2
also increases.
In one of the studies different concentrations of
4. CONCLUSION
HNO3 were used for acidic modification of the
From the above mentioned details we can evaluate
surface. 3g of the spent tea leaves Activated
that the least activation temperature is 450C and
carbon was added to 150 ml of 20 % (v/v), 40 %
the maximum is 800C. Similarly the various
(v/v) and 80 % (v/v) HNO3 solution, respectively.
chemical agents used are Potassium Acetate,
The modified samples were referred as NAC30,
ZnCl2, NaOH, H3PO4 (85 %) and KOH. AC
NAC60 and NAC120, respectively.
produced from different methods was used to
It is clearly seen that HNO 3 modified samples
absorb dyes and the best removal percentage was
promote the uptake of methylene blue (MB) and
determined. AC treated with 40% HNO3 solution
show greater adsorption capacity than that of
had maximum adsorption capacity than a non
waste tea activated carbon (WTAC). The order of
treated AC.
adsorption capacity is NAC60 > NAC30 >
NAC120 > WTAC and the maximum MB
REFERENCE
adsorption capacities are 683.6 mg/g, 587.6 mg/g,

CHEMCON-2017 2|P a g e
 70th Annual Session of Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers
CHEMCON 2017
VERSATILITY OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING TO MEET SOCIETAL CHALLENGES
December 27 30 , 2017
Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Haldia Institute of Technology

CHEMCON-2017 3|P a g e